


Harry Figg: The Pre-Hogwarts Years

by allikatt



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Minerva McGonagall, Gen, Harry Potter was Raised by Other(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pre-Hogwarts, Raised by Mrs. Figg
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-24
Updated: 2018-11-08
Packaged: 2019-06-15 16:26:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15416940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allikatt/pseuds/allikatt
Summary: Harry Potter was left on his aunt's doorstep on Halloween Night 1981, but she doesn't know that. Instead, Minerva McGonagall and Arabella Figg trust their instincts, and Harry Potter is raised as Harry Figg, Arabella's grandson. Raised in both the Muggle and Wizarding worlds, Harry is not quite as clueless when he enters Hogwarts, and he has a family that loves him.





	1. Halloween 1981, Part 1

Arabella Figg just resumed her knitting when she heard the Floo go off. When she looked up, Albus Dumbledore’s head was sticking out of the green flames. “May I come in?” Arabella nodded and Dumbledore stepped through, looking around. Speaking gravely, he said “Voldemort was defeated.”

 

“That’s great news!” Arabella didn’t understand why Dumbledore looked so defeated.

 

“Yes, he was defeated, but not before he killed Lily and James Potter.”

 

“Who killed him, Sirius, or Lupin?”

 

“Harry. Voldemort’s killing curse rebounded off of Harry and hit him. Harry is the only known survivor of the killing curse.”

 

Arabella was so shocked that she set down her knitting needles. “Harry must be very powerful to have done that.”

 

Dumbledore pondered for a moment before responding, “Actually, I believe that Lily’s love is what caused Voldemort’s spell to backfire onto himself.”

 

“How?”

 

“I have my theories.”

 

Dumbledore did not wish to share. Arabella, sensing a shift in the mood, responded in kind: “Thank you for informing me of _his_ demise. If you don’t mind, I would like to get another row in before heading to bed.”

 

“Ah, but his death is not the only reason I am here. Harry will be living with his only remaining living relatives, away from the wizarding world. You know Petunia Dursley of Number 4 Privet Drive? She is-- er was, Lily’s sister. I need you to watch over Harry until he turns 11 and attends Hogwarts.”

 

“You spoke to Petunia--” she spoke the name as one does when complaining about the stench coming from the garbage-- “and she agreed?”

 

Dumbledore either missed or chose to ignore Arabella’s obvious distaste of Petunia. “I have not exactly spoken to her yet, but I have a letter explaining everything. Now, I’m sorry, my dear, but I believe that I’ve spent a bit to much time here. I have to speak to Hagrid before he drops Harry off at the Dursleys.” Before Arabella could rebuff him, Dumbledore stepped back through the Floo.

 

Arabella was angry. Why was Harry going to relatives that he had never met, instead of his Godfather, whom she knew loved Harry more than anything else? Petunia did not like anyone out of the ordinary; she shunned a neighbor once she found out they had a pet bird. And her husband, Vernon, is a whale of a man who does not adapt well to any sudden changes.

 

Giving up on knitting another stitch tonight, Arabella got dressed to go outside. She knew that Harry would be arriving in a bit, and she wanted to see how Dumbledore would explain what had happened, along with Petunia’s reaction.

 

Dressed in a sweater set and corduroy pants to keep in the warmth, a raincoat to protect from the wind and rain, and a pair of wellies, Arabella set of from Wisteria Walk towards the bushes in the Howard’s front lawn of Number 7 Privet Drive. It may have been uncomfortable, but at least she had a clear view of Number 4. After waiting for 15 minutes, she heard the rumble of a bike. She ducked lower into the bushes and watched as a very large man parked the bike and walked up to the house, a basket of some sort and an umbrella in his hands. After placing the basket on the stairs, the large man when back up the walkway and onto his bike without ringing the doorbell or knocking on the door. As the bike rumbled out of Privet Drive, Arabella stood up from her hiding place in the bushes. She didn’t feel the pain in her knees; all she could think about was what kind of person leaves a baby outside in weather like this.

 

Arabella walked around the bushes towards 4 Privet Drive and Harry. She was about to cross the street when she noticed a peculiar tabby cat doing the same. “Minerva, it’s me, Arabella Figg.”

 

Realizing that she was spotted, Minerva McGonagall quickly appeared where the tabby once stood. She cast a quick Lumos; in the dim light her eyes were slightly red, but her anger showed through. “Hello, Arabella.”

 

Crossing the street, Arabella joined Minerva, staring down the walkway towards Harry. “How could that man just leave Harry without knocking or anything? What was Albus thinking?”

 

“That’s just the thing, Arabella, Albus wasn’t thinking at all. Petunia was jealous of Lily when they were younger, and I don’t believe that they were able to work out their differences before Lily’s passing. Add that to the fact that they are the worst kind of Muggles, and I do not believe that Harry should be living here.”

 

“I agree, there is something off about them. I do not wish to see Harry grow up here.”

 

“Neither do I.”

 

“Why don’t we take him back to my place so that he is out of the rain while we figure out who he should live with.”

 


	2. Halloween Night, 1981, Part 2

Minerva poured herself some tea while Arabella made sure that none of the cats would try to jump into the basket with Harry. The news about Black killing Pettigrew was disturbing, to say the least, and she could not believe that Sirius could have betrayed the Potters. He was James’s blood brother in everything save name. She resigned herself to having to find out the motive during the trial. Minerva was pulled out of these thoughts with Arabella entering the room.

 

“Would you like some biscuits? I have some in the kitchen.” Arabella set down a large manilla envelope, along with a smaller letter addressed to Petunia on the table, before puttering over to the kitchen.

 

Minerva was casting diagnostic spells when Arabella sat down next to her at the table, a tin of biscuits in hand. “Where did you find these?”

 

“They appeared when I jostled the blanket Harry is wrapped in. They must have been tucked in with him.” Turning her attention to Minerva’s spellwork, she asked “Is there anything important on these envelopes?”

 

Minerva took a sip of her tea. “Neither of them have any lanent spells on them. Shall we take a look at the envelopes?” Without waiting for Arabella’s approval, she opened up the larger envelope. Out spilled photographs, a birth certificate, a Gringotts vault key, and other important documents.

 

“I wonder what Petunia would have done with all of this?”

 

“Probably either thrown it away or packed it up in the attic, away from prying eyes. Out of sight, out of mind.”

 

Arabella picked up one of the moving photos. “Wow, I haven’t seen pictures like this in a long time.”

 

Minerva glanced at the photo. It was of Harry when he was a few months old, smiling at the camera, trying to grab at it. She then turned her focus onto the smaller envelope. “Let’s see what Albus sees in Petunia,” she muttered.

 

While Arabella remained preoccupied by the photos, Minerva scanned through the letter addressed to Petunia. She gasped when she was about halfway through reading it, causing Arabella to look at her. “Albus wants Harry to live with those wretched muggles because he created a blood ward for Harry. Since Petunia is his last surviving relative, only she can activate it. How could Albus do this? He of all people should know that just because you are blood-related to someone, that it does not make you family.”

 

Arabella chose to ignore the new tidbit into Dumbledore’s personal life to focus on blood wards. “What exactly is a blood ward, Minerva?”

 

“It’s a very old type of magic. It protects a minor from the person who murdered their parents until they are seventeen, as long as their blood relative accepts them unconditionally and the minor considers the blood relative’s home their home also.” Minerva’s mind was whirring while she explained blood wards. He-Who-Should-Not-Be-Named is dead, so why would Albus cast such a charm. It would not protect Harry from any Death Eater attacks, so what was the point? Why does Albus believe that He-Who-Should-Not-Be-Named will return in the future? Albus must know more than he is saying, and Minerva resolved that she would get to the bottom of it.

 

“How close of a familial bond is needed for the blood wards to take effect?”

 

“Pardon me?”

 

“I am distantly related to Harry on his father’s side. His fifth cousin twice removed to be exact. Would that be a strong enough familial relationship for the wards to come into effect?”

 

“I honestly don’t know Arabella. This magic is not used all that often anymore.”

 

“Is there any way to test it?”

 

“Yes. Read those lines on letter out loud. If they work, you should feel a new set of wards settle in place.”

 

_“The same blood that flows through me flows through Harry James Potter. The shared blood that flows through us also flows through this house. May he be protected from within these walls until he no longer calls this place his permanent home, or until he reaches the age of maturity, whichever occurs first. With this I offer unconditional protection.”_

 

The two women sat in silence for a few moments, waiting with bated breath to see if the ward would form. The change was subtle at first. Arabella felt a slight warming in the air, like the sun peeking out behind the clouds on a spring day. Then, the room was cast in an iridescent red light that quickly dissipated.

 

Looking smug, Minerva said, “I think it worked.”

 

Once the new wards were in place, reality began to set in for Arabella. “Minerva, I don’t have the materials to take care of a year old child! Harry cannot sleep in a basket, I have no nappies, and hardly any food that he can eat. I need to start making a list of all the things I must get him.” Arabella stood up from the table and went into the kitchen to grab a pen and a pad of paper.

 

Minerva called after her, “Don’t worry, I will help you any way I can to cover the cost of what you need to get for him. We don’t need to do everyone at once. It is very late, almost 2am. I think we should both get some rest before making a list of items. Let’s wait until the morning. I don’t have any classes tomorrow since it is Sunday. How about I arrive here at 9am and we plan on heading out by 11?” Minerva hoped that Arabella would agree with her; the events of the night were catching up to her once more and she was exhausted.

 

Arabella set the pen and paper onto the table. “You’re right. It will be easier to figure all of this out on a few hours of sleep.”

 

Minerva nodded and stood up to grab some Floo powder. “I will see you later on today. Do try to get some rest before Harry wakes up.” She threw the powder in and Arabella was alone.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I've found that the more I write this, the longer the chapters are becoming, lol! I start grad school in about a month, so I hope that I can write enough beforehand so there are no lags between chapters, aka I still release a chapter a week. Thank you for reading all of my ramblings, and I hope you have a great week!


	3. The Next Morning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this is a day late! I had to nanny yesterday, when I usually don't, then I had to check in with my Gramma, as she is recovering form surgery, before working the closing shift at work. I have been working every day for the past week and will not have a free day until Saturday, but I promise that the next week's chapter will be done on time!

By the time Minerva arrived at 9 on the dot, Arabella fed Harry, changed his diaper, and got him down for a mid-morning nap. In reality, Harry had exhausted himself screaming for Mama, Dada, and someone named “Pads”, and took a nap to recuperate. Arabella didn’t know how to tell him about his parents’ deaths, and tried to soothe him the best she could without mentioning them. The short silence was ended, however, once Minerva stepped through the Floo.

 

Harry woke up, recognizing the noise. “Mama, Dada, Pads?”

 

“No, Harry, it’s just me, Aunt Minnie.” Minerva’s voice took on a softer tone, “Do you remember me? It’s okay if you don’t.”

 

Harry shook his head no. “Mama, Dada, Pads?” he sounded hopeful.

 

Minerva turned to Arabella, who just walked in from the kitchen. “You haven’t told him yet?”

 

“No, I haven’t. He woke up in a strange place, and after I fed him, he cried for his parents and someone named "Pads." Nothing I did could calm him down. Eventually, he tired himself out. He was asleep for about half an hour before you arrived.”

 

Minerva picked Harry up out of the basket. Settling him on her hip, she sat out at the table. “You see Harry, your parents have to go away for a long time. Until they can see you again, you are in grandma Arabella’s and mine’s care. You may call me Aunt Minnie. Your parents entrusted us with your care. We will love and protect you.”

 

Harry chin started to wobble before Minerva finished, and he was full on crying by the time Minerva was done. Arabella joined Minerva at the table.“He’s in a new place, he’s scared, and he wants something that will comfort him. His number one choice, of course, is unavailable. Do you know of any toys that Harry enjoys?”

 

Minerva knew that he enjoyed his miniature Quidditch broom Sirius had gotten him for his first birthday. With that in mind, she transfigured a chair cushion into the golden snitch plush she got Harry for his birthday. As soon as Harry saw Minerva’s wand, he made a grab for it, but settled for the snitch plush instead. The volume of his crying decreased significantly.

 

With Harry placated for the moment, Arabella turned to the issue at hand, creating the list of items. She had started it this morning, and it contained the bare essentials: crib, changing table, dresser, diapers, clothes, sippy cups, and toys. She showed the list to Minerva, and talked her through it. “I think that we should go to Muggle London for everything except for the furniture, since that can be Flooed to the house.”

 

Minerva nodded in agreement and added a few more items to the list. “I think that we should go to Muggle London first, and Floo back from the Leaky Cauldron. How long is a cab ride into the city?”

 

“About 35 to 45 minutes based on the traffic. I already called the taxi company and one is arriving at 11 to take us.”

 

“Excellent. I have brought an expandable bag with a Notice-Me-Not charm on it. We can place all of our purchases in there. Where are we shopping?”

 

“There is a shopping center about two blocks from the Leaky Cauldron. That’s where we’ll go. Will you transfigure your robes into Muggle clothes? In all honesty, all you have to do is transfigure your tartan robe into a coat and no one will know.”

 

Minerva wore the robe for that exact purpose. “Thank you for the advice. I’m wondering what we can do to disguise Harry today.” Minerva was carding a hand through Harry’s hair. He had fallen back to sleep a few minutes ago and was currently drooling on the transfigured snitch.

 

“What do you mean? It’s not like people know what he looks like.”

 

Minerva shook her head. “He was on the front page of the Daily Prophet today. And his new scar makes him even more noticeable.”

 

“How did the public find out?”

 

“You do you think? Dumbledore. People are already calling him the Boy-Who-Lived and the Savior of the Wizarding World. On top of that, the paper reported that Sirius Black was the Potter’s Secret Keeper, and sold them out to You-Know-Who. When his friend Peter Pettigrew tried to intervene and have the Aurors arrest him, Sirius blew up a street, killing 13 muggles along with Pettigrew. All that they found was his right index finger. Sirius is in Azkaban as we speak.” Minerva was on the verge of tears by the time she caught Arabella up on the news from the wizarding world.

 

Noticing that Minerva needed a minute to compose herself, Arabella rose from the table and headed towards the kitchen. “Would you like some tea? I know I would like some.”

 

By the time Arabella came back with the tea, and some chocolate biscuits, Minerva’s favorite, she had composed herself. “I can’t believe that Sirius would betray James like that. They were brothers in everything but blood. Sirius lived with James and his parents full time after his own mother kicked him out at 16. I can’t imagine Sirius betraying James in any sort of way.”

 

“Maybe he was cursed, or under someone else’s control. There is a spell that does that, correct?”

 

“Yes, the Imperious curse, one of the Unforgivables.”

 

“Maybe he was under it. Is there a way to know?”

 

“Veritaserum would compel him to tell the truth. I assume we will find out if and/or why he sold out the Potters during his trial.”

 

They let the conversation die out after that, each in their own thoughts. When Harry woke around 10:15, they decided that it was time for them to get ready to go shopping. Minerva transfigured a coat, socks, and shoes for Harry, and Arabella found an old hat she had knitted for Dudley Dursley (Petunia refused it because it was homemade), and placed it on Harry’s head. It covered up the scar fairly well. Minerva completed Harry’s look by lightening his hair to a chestnut brown.

 

While Minerva transfigured her own outfit, Arabella made sure she had enough money to buy Harry everything he needed from the Muggle world, along with his vault key and the little amount of Wizarding money she kept around. In her bag, she placed a baggie filled with cereal in case Harry got hungry, and the amended list of items she needed to buy.

             

At 10:50, Minerva, Arabella, and Harry stood outside of the house and waited for the taxi to arrive. They did not have to wait long. By 11, they were on their way to Muggle London. At first, the cab driver tried to make conversation with the trio. He soon gave up however, due to Minerva’s short, curt responses. Harry was unaware of his Aunt Minnie’s irritation, nor Grandma Arabella’s nervousness. Instead, he was engrossed in the landscape flying past as they drove towards Central London.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, End Notes too! The outburst that Harry has is inspired by my nephew, who cried for an hour and a half on vacation because neither of his aunts, who were watching him, were his parents. Within 15 minutes of them returning, however, he was asleep.


	4. Shopping in Muggle London

Minerva and Harry exited the car as Arabella paid the cab driver for his service. Arabella picked a large department store to complete all of their shopping in Muggle London. It provided one stop shopping for anything and everything one could need for their home. And according to the signs in the display windows, they were having some sort of sale.

 

They entered the store in the cosmetics department. The scents of multiple fragrances mingled together in the air as the group made their ways toward the escalators and store map. “So, what do you want to get here, Arabella?”

 

“I was thinking of getting Harry some clothes, things for his crib, a stroller, a car seat, some toys, diapers, and some sippy cups and other dishware for Harry.”

 

Minerva glanced at the map to see what levels everything was on. “Will you get everything else at the other shop?”

 

“Yes, you mentioned that the other store had same day delivery, plus set up. I believe that is what I need.”

 

“Do you want to start at the top and work our way down, or go the opposite way?” Children’s clothes were located on the fifth floor, baby supplies and toys on the third, and homeware was on the second level. 

 

“That sounds like a plan.”

 

The trio was quiet as they slowly made their way up to the fifth floor. Once they arrived, they followed the signs for the boy’s baby and toddler clothes. Almost immediately after entering the section, a saleswoman appeared. “Aw, what a handsome little man!” Harry turned away from the woman, burying his face into the crook of Minerva’s arm. “Are you looking for anything in particular for your son?”

 

Minerva knew she did not look that young, not looking for flattery, and let her displeasure show. “Actually, I’m his great-aunt. We are buying some things for him to wear at his grandma’s house. His parents are recently deceased and she’s his primary caregiver now.

 

The saleswoman at least had the decency to look ashamed. In a soft voice, she said, “If you need me, I’ll be right over there,” pointing to the checkout kiosk. 

 

Minerva found Arabella digging through a clearance bin full of clothing sets. She had a small pile next to her. Some were sets of onesies, and other were outfits consisting of shirts and pants. “Would you like some help with sorting through all of this?”

 

“Thank you for offering, but I have a system going. Plus, it would be a bit difficult to dig through all of these while holding onto Harry. If you can find a winter coat and a raincoat for him, that would be great. Just make sure that the cost of both is under £10 and that the winter weight coat has plenty of quilting.” Nodding, Minerva turned towards a display of coats. “Oh, and he’s in a 12m.”

 

Walking towards the display, Minerva whispered to Harry, “Now, what color winter coat and raincoat should we get for you. Harry squirmed to be put down, and Minerva obliged, discreetly placing a tether charm on him so he could not wander away. Harry stopped when he reached the display, looking at all the options. “Well, let’s see what’s in our price range and your size.” 

 

Harry paid no attention to Minerva; he was playing with the zipper on one of the orange coats. While Minerva looked for potential coat options, Harry moved on to testing the snaps on a navy coat. He found that he could undo them if he pulled very hard, but was unable to snap them back in place. Just as he was starting to get frustrated with the jacket, Minerva came back with some coats for Harry to try.

 

Minerva knelt down in front of him and said, “Well Harry, I hope you were enjoying yourself. Let’s try on some jackets. Now, I have raincoats in two different colors, orange and green. Which one do you like?” Harry pointed to the green one. Minerva took off the transfigured jacket. “If this fits, then this is the one you’re going to get.” Harry nodded, and Minerva put Harry in the new jacket and snapped it shut. The raincoat was a little long in the arms but that was okay, Harry would grow into it. “Great! Now we will do the same with the winter coats.” Each one was a different style, and Harry was dutifully patient as Minerva had him try on each one. In the end, there were four coats to choose from, each one a different the Hogwarts House’s color.

 

“Now Harry, all of these coats fit you quite nicely, so once again, the color is up to you. Would you like Hufflepuff yellow, Slytherin green, Ravenclaw blue, or Gryffindor red?” Minerva pointed to each coat as she named the color, and watched Harry’s eyes light up when she mentioned Gryffindor. She pointed to the red one again, “Is this the coat you want?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Minerva smiled and held in her pride. “You made an excellent choice, Harry. Now, hold my hand as we go back to Grandma Arabella.”

 

Arabella was sorting through the pile of clothing sets when Minerva and Harry reached her. “Minnie, look at these bargains! Not one of them is priced over £1! Did you find Harry some coats?

 

“Yes I did, but Harry had the final say.”

 

“Splendid! Let me finish sorting through these. Will you grab some socks for him and then head to the register? I’ll meet you over there.”

 

After paying, the group headed over to the shoe department. They did not know what size Harry’s shoes were, so they had to find a salesperson. The man was patient with Harry, who did not like having to hold still so his foot could be measured. Arabella gave Harry some cereal to eat as Minerva paid for a pair of trainers for Harry. With the shoes paid for, they headed down to the third floor.

 

Once they stepped off of the escalator, they headed towards the restroom so MInerva could place the clothes in her expandable purse. She transfigured her scarf to look like some shopping bags so they would not be accused of stealing. Once they, exited, they decided that Minerva would take Harry to the toy area while Arabella gathered the other supplies. Arabella, knowing that she would be unable to carry everything, quickly tracked down a worker. “Excuse me, sir, but can you please help me? I would like to buy a lot of items today for my grandson, but I cannot carry everything. Would you please help me?”

 

“Oh yes, of course.”

 

Arabella took the list out of her pocket and handed it to the man. “You are so wonderful! Now I was thinking we start with the stroller…”

 

*****

 

Minerva watched Harry run over to the toy section. She didn’t care how much Arabella protested, she would be purchasing all of Harry’s toys today. Although the tether charm was still on Harry, Minerva still worried that something may happen to him, and hurried to catch up to him. Harry was looking at some dinosaur toys. “Do you like dinosaurs?”

 

Harry nodded and roared at Minerva, who chuckled. “Okay, you can choose two.” Harry picked  a pterodactyl and a brontosaurus. “Do you want me to hold them?” Harry handed her the pterodactyl and hugged the brontosaurus to his chest, walking towards the next aisle. The dinosaur was soon abandoned on the ground, however, when Harry saw the train set that was displayed. 

 

Minerva used the time that Harry was playing with the train to grab some large plastic building bricks, some simple wooden puzzles, an activity cube, and a chalkboard easel. Minerva became a bit distracted when comparing two different wooden train sets; she didn’t realize that Harry had wandered away from her until she felt the gentle tug of the tether charm. Forgetting about the train sets, and the other toys, Minerva quickly walked towards the main aisle, then started glancing down each aisle as she passed. She found Harry two aisles down, studying the coloring supplies. As she briskly walked down the aisle towards Harry, her panic subsided. “Do you like to color?”

 

“Yes!” Harry said very enthusiastically. Minerva grabbed some paper, crayons, and finger paints off the shelf. She debated getting Harry some Play Doh before deciding to get him some coloring books instead. When Harry was done looking at all of the art supplies, Minerva asked, “Will you please hold my hand? I don’t want you to wander off again.” She held out her hand, and Harry took it. She led him back to the aisle with the display train. Harry went back to playing and Minerva went about trying to carry all of the toys she abandoned when she went after Harry, plus a wooden train set. 

 

After struggling for a few minutes, Minerva gave up and waved over a passing salesperson, “Excuse me, can you please help me carry these to the checkout area?”

 

“Oh, yes, of course! And your little guy is adorable!” Harry once again picked up the brontosaurus, wanting to be helpful.

 

“That’s one of the reasons why he gets spoiled by his aunt,” Minerva replied, chuckling. She turned to Harry and held out her hand. Once again, he took it, and they followed the saleswoman to the checkout. 

 

After Minerva paid for the toys and the saleswoman became distracted by another customer, Minerva placed all of the toys in her expandable bag, before glamouring it into multiple shopping bags. Taking Harry’s hand, they started walking. “Let’s go find Grandma Arabella.” Hand-in-hand, they found Arabella pointing towards a high chair, with two young salesmen grabbing the correct one. 

 

Arabella waved them over when she saw them. “Did you find any toys you like, Harry?”

 

Harry, who was hiding behind Minerva, peeked around her legs and smiled. Letting go of Aunt Minnie’s hand, he started to flap his arms, roaring as he made his way towards Arabella. She laughed, picking him up before walking back to Minerva. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

 

“He is very fond of the dinosaurs, though I suppose that’s because they are the closest things the store has to dragons. He also liked the wooden train, and became entranced by all of the art supplies.” She would tell Arabella about Harry’s evasion when they returned to the house. “Do you need to get anything else before heading downstairs?”

 

“Yes, there are a few smaller items on my list. Why don’t you two head downstairs and pick out some bedding for Harry.”

 

“Are you sure? I can help you carry something.”

 

“I believe it might look a bit suspicious if I bought a high chair and a stroller, two very large things, and have them disappear before we even left the store. Once I pay for everything, I am going to ask them to set up the stroller, that way the only thing we have to “carry” is the high chair, which shouldn’t be that difficult with a featherlight charm on it.”

 

“Good thinking, Arabella. Besides, Harry might want to take a nap later, so the stroller will be a good thing to have.” Taking Harry from her, they made their way back towards the escalators, agreeing to meet up again in 15 minutes. 

 

Once they arrived at the bedding area, Minerva looked for the crib bedding. There were not a lot of choices, so she ended up picking sheets that matched the blanket Harry was found with. With 10 minutes left before their designated meeting time, Minerva had already paid for the sheets and bedding. She had to entertain Harry, however, so she took him over to the throw pillows. Harry was having a blast feeling the different textures of all the pillows, along with the tassels, lace, and piping found along the edges of them. 

 

Minerva was content to sit down for a few minutes. Although she was surrounded by children on the daily basis, they did not wear her out like Harry did. Maybe it was due to their age; their attentions spans were a lot longer than Harry’s. Plus, any one-on-one time she had with a student was usually due to a meeting or detention instead of day-to-day activities. That reminded Minerva that she still had a stack of fifth year essays on how living transfigured objects deteriorate over time, and what factors can prevent such deterioration. 

 

With three minutes to spare, Minerva and Harry met Arabella at the checkout counter. As they walked up, Arabella was placing her change back in her purse. “Oh,” she jumped a little when she turned around and saw them. “Has it really been 15 minutes already?”

 

“We came up a bit early, as Harry was getting impatient. I tried giving him some cereal, but he refused. I think he’s tired.”

 

“This lovely salesman is putting together the stroller now. We can place Harry in it once he’s done. Plus, we can hang these bags off of the handles.” Arabella gestured towards the eight or so bags surrounding the checkout station. “Do you think you can carry the high chair?”

 

“With Harry going into the stroller, I’m sure it will be fine.” Plus, Minerva already knew she was going to put a featherweight charm.

 

Once the stroller was set up, they decided to hang the bags on it first, as they were unsure how Harry would react to being in a stroller. He did not like it, and had a bit of a fuss while Arabella was strapping him in. Once they started moving, however, Harry settled down and seemed to enjoy the ride towards the elevators. Once inside, Minerva was able to shrink the box down and place it in her bag, along with the bags hanging off the stroller.

 

The trio exited the department store without any issues. By the time they were in the blustery November air, Harry was fast asleep in the stroller. The two block walk to The Leaky Cauldron was a short one, with both women allowing the cacophony of London do the talking instead of them. With both women hungry, and Harry still asleep, they decided to eat lunch before making their way into Diagon Alley. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the comments and kudos! They mean the world to me and encourage me to write more!
> 
> I spent way too much time converting 2018 Pounds to 1981 Pounds to Galleons for this chapter, along with looking at 1980s British children's fashion magazines to get a sense of how much things cost. 
> 
> Also, I am not exactly happy with the flow of this chapter, but I wanted to post something today. Next week, we will see them in Diagon Alley!


	5. Diagon Alley

If Tom was surprised to see Minerva McGonagall with an unknown woman and baby, he did not show it as seated them. Minerva, however, could tell he was curious. “We are buying some things for my friend’s grandson today, and decided to have a bite to eat before shopping.” Minerva looked pointedly at Tom, daring him to ask any more questions. 

 

Tom turned away from the table, “Let me get a high chair for the little man.”

 

“I would have thought that Tom would recognize you since you do business in Diagon Alley.”

 

“I don’t use the Floo to the Leaky. You know that cats, especially part-Kneazle ones, can be quite temperamental. That’s why I Floo them directly to Perseus’s Pet Porium. I don’t believe I have been in the Leaky for over a decade.”

 

Tom had heard the last bit of the conversation as he put the high chair in place. “This is a special occasion then! New this year is our pumpkin spice cider, served hot or cold. It is our most pumpkiny drink yet!”

 

“Thank you for the suggestion, Tom. I would like a cup of my usual tea, please.”

 

“And I would like a butterbeer, please, along with some milk in a no-spill cup for my grandson.” Arabella didn’t want to risk using Harry’s name and having him be recognized. Tom nodded and left the table to make the drinks. “I had forgotten how popular pumpkin food and drinks are in the Wizarding world.”

 

“But muggles also use pumpkin.”

 

“Yes, they do, but not to the extent that wizards do. I don’t know of any pumpkin drinks they make. Also, pumpkins are typically only used in the fall, mostly in baking, unlike in the Wizarding world, where pumpkins are used in cooking year round.”

 

Their conversation paused once again while Tom placed their drinks down and took their orders. Arabella checked to see if Harry was asleep before starting the conversation again. “How do you think we should do this? You know more about Diagon Alley than I do.”

 

“Well,” Minerva began before taking a sip of her tea, “I believe that we should go to Gringotts first. I’m sure that Harry has a trust fund, at the very least, we can read James and Lily’s will since Harry is the benefactor.”

 

“Can I take out money if I’m not listed on the will?”

 

“I believe so because you have the vault key and the benefactor, but I am not completely sure. Do you have a Gringotts account?”

 

“Yes, it’s connected to my muggle bank account. It automatically converts everything into pounds.”

 

“Well, after we go to Gringotts, we should go to Fawley Family Furniture, then Thomas & Sawyer Toy Shoppe, before finally stopping at Flourish & Blotts.”

 

“Do you need to pick up some texts?”

 

“I wouldn’t mind looking, but I would like to purchase Harry some books.”

 

It was as if Harry was waiting to hear his name, as that was all it took to wake him up. Arabella picked him up out of his stroller and buckled him into the high chair. “Hello sweetie, would you like some milk?”

 

Harry was still tired, trying to wipe the sleep from his eyes, but he nodded and yawned, “Ya!”

 

Minerva handed him the cup, but not before casually checking to make sure the no-spill charm was in place. Arabella and her’s conversation died out once again as they focused all of their energy entertaining Harry. When their food came, Arabella cut up pieces of broccoli and chicken for Harry to eat. Minerva insisted on paying, and soon the trio were on their way to Gringotts. 

 

Outside the building, Minerva disillusioned Harry, but placed the hat back on him. Once inside, Arabella and Harry stepped up to an open teller; Minerva went to another one to inquire about her own vaults. She began explaining the issue, “Um, hello Mr. Rockwood, I have the vault key for Mr. Harry James Potter, and said beneficiary is also present. Since he is here, I was wondering if his parents will could be viewed and if his vault could be accessed.”

 

“Can I please see your vault key Ms…?”

 

“Mrs. Arabella Figg. I have it in here,” she said as she dug through her purse. “Here it is!” 

 

She handed it to Rockwood, who studied it before asking, “And Mr. Potter’s key?” She dug around in her purse again before handing him the second key. 

 

He studied Harry’s key before picking both of them up. “I will be right back with both keys; I must speak with Griphook about the Potter’s vault and will.”

 

Arabella waited patiently, Harry happily babbling away in the stroller. She hadn’t realized how much time had passed until Minerva rejoined the group. “What’s taking so long?”

 

“Rockwood had to speak with a goblin named Griphook about Harry’s and mine’s vault keys. Look, here he is now.” 

 

Rockwood returned to the window and addressed Arabella. “Griphook and I would like to speak with you and Harry in the back.” He then turned to Minerva, “And who are you?”

 

“Minerva McGonagall. I am also helping taking care of Harry.”

 

Rockwood turned to Arabella, “It is up to you if Ms. McGonagall joins us in the back.”

 

“I would like Minerva to sit in on the conversation.”

 

“Great. Please step through the door.” A door had appeared between the teller windows. They walked through, and were suddenly surrounded by offices. “Please follow me to Griphook’s office.” They walked down the hall, stopping at the office fifth down the hall on the left side. Rockwood walked in and went around the desk to a seat next to Griphook, who gestured for Arabella and Minerva to sit in the seats across from them.

 

Once everyone was settled, Griphook asked, “Which one of you is Arabella Figg?”

 

“I am.”

 

“Then you must be Ms. McGonagall. Rockwood and I believe that this matter be taken care of away from prying eyes, especially with how popular Mr. Potter is at the moment.”

 

“What exactly do you wish to speak with to me about?”

 

“Yours and Mr. Potter’s keys are very interesting. You are not Harry’s legal guardian according to his parent’s will, yet your keys say otherwise.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“According to the Potter’s will, Sirius Black should be Harry’s guardian, and his vault key should reflect that. Instead, your key shows that you are his guardian.”

 

“Blood wards were created around my house for Harry and me. Dumbledore created it because he believed that Harry survived due to Lily’s love for him. When I took him in and read the letter he left, they formed.”

 

Griphook arched his eyebrow. “Blood magic is very old, and very dangerous. You are lucky that the wards were not rejected since you are very distantly related to each other.”

 

“Because the key sees me as Harry’s guardian, does that mean that I can view his parent’s will.”

 

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Figg, but since you are not listed in the will as his guardian, you cannot view the will. Harry cannot view the will unless he is with his guardian as stated in the will, or is old enough to comprehend what is stated in the will.”

 

“Are there any other guardians listed in the will? Sirius Black is currently in Azkaban.”

 

“There are suggestions, but since none of them are concrete, I cannot disclose them. If one were to step forward, I can direct them to you.”

 

Arabella was becoming very frustrated with Griphook’s roundabout way of answering her questions, but tried not to show it. “Fine. What age does Harry have to be before he can view the will?”

 

“At least five, although we would prefer if he were older. As long as he understands what a will is and how it works he can view it.”

 

“And what about his vault? Can I take money out of it to pay of his things, or does he need his legal guardian for that too?”

 

“Since the key recognizes you as his guardian, you may take out 500 galleons a year, increasing to 2000 galleons once Harry is set to attend Hogwarts.”

 

“Does Harry and I have to go down to his vault to take out money?”

 

“No. You can buy a bag that is connected to his vault and has a set withdrawal amount per year for five galleons.”

 

“Great. I would like buy two, one for my vault and one for his, but with no withdrawal limit on mine. Please take the money out of my vault. While we are here, can I also speak to you about the exchange rates between pounds and galleons, among other things?”

 

*****

 

By the time they left the bank, Harry was asleep once again and Arabella changed how much money was being transferred between her Gringotts and muggle bank accounts. Minerva placed the illusion back onto Harry, and they casually made there way towards Fawley Family Furniture. The hubbub of He-Who-Should-Not-Be-Named's death had quieted down, but people were still gossiping about it along the street.

 

Arabella pushed the stroller towards Fawley’s and Minerva tried to make conversation. “How do you feel about what Griphook said?”

 

“I don't really know. I haven’t quite processed it yet. Do you know who the other suggestions could be?”

 

“I only one that I could think of would be Remus Lupin, since Peter is dead. Did you understand what Griphook was saying?”

 

“I understood most of it, but I do not wish to discuss it here. We can talk about it later when my thoughts are more organized.”

 

“I understand.” Minerva paused to open up the door to the furniture store and let Arabella and Harry through. As Arabella passed, she mummured, “Let me do the talking.” Arabella slightly nodded her head in response. 

 

Once inside, the cashier greeted them. “Hello, my name is Forrest Fawley, 45th owner of Fawley Family Furniture. What can I do for you today?”

 

“Hello, Forest. Today my friend Arabella is looking for a bedroom set for her grandson. She is looking for a crib, dresser, and nightstand for him. The crib should have runes for protection, anti-fall, and peaceful dreams on it, along with the ability to adapt with the child as he grows. The dresser should have your expandable charm placed on the drawers so they can hold twice as much as they look like they can hold.”

 

“Anything else?”

 

Arabella took over. “Yes. I would like it to be delivered today via the Floo. I live in a muggle neighborhood, so the usual delivery method will not do.”

 

“Of course. Since you would like the set delivered today, that limits your options. We have three different sets to choose from, however, that I’m sure will satisfy you.” Forrest led them towards the back of the store. The first set he showed was ebony. Arabella passed on it, believing it to be too dark for the space. Next was a cedar set, but Arabella believed that the dresser was too large. That left the third option, the rowan wood set. It was a nice, light colored set with a few nicks in the grain. Nothing that a coat of paint couldn’t fix. 

 

“It’s perfect,” Arabella proclaimed as she ran her hand along the top of the dresser.

 

“I’m happy you like it. Rowan wood is said to provide protection, but no one really wanted the set due to the all of the nicks and scoffing.”

 

“What caused them?”

 

Forrest began leading them to the cash register. “This is the first set that our newest apprentice made. Although it may not look the nicest, the charms and the runes are all in perfectly good shape.”

 

Arabella paid and set up the delivery for 6pm that evening before exiting back into the Alley. “Seeing as it is almost 5:00 pm now, I do not believe that we will have enough time to go to both the toy store and Flourish and Blotts.”

 

“Sadly, I have to agree with you. We can always go next time, or I can owl the books to Harry.”

 

Outside of the toy store, Arabella took Harry out of his stroller and Minerva placed a tether charm on him and shrunk the stroller so it fit in her pocket. As they entered, Arabella knelt down in front of Harry. “You can pick out three,” she held up three fingers, “toys. Do you understand?”

 

“Ya!”

 

“Okay then, let’s go.”

 

Harry was very excited to be going into a toy store. He would run a few feet, then pause and look at all of the toys surrounding him. Arabella continuously gently guided him towards the toddler area. Only then did she release his hand and let him explore on his own. Arabella turned around to speak with Minerva, but noticed that she was by the quidditch toys, holding a snitch plush that looked exactly like the one she had transfigured from a seat cushion earlier.

 

Half an hour later, Harry left the store with more than three toys, although technically he only picked out three of them. Harry picked out two dragons and a set of wooden alphabet blocks with moving pictures. The green dragon was plush and would fly around and flap its wings when its shoulders where petted three times. The yellow dragon walked around and would blow smoke out of its nose when tapped on its head three times. Harry though it was the funniest thing and chased it around. Minerva insisted on getting Harry some other toys, such as the snitch plush and a toddler wand that shot sparks from the tip when it was shaken. 

 

With Harry clutching his new green dragon, Minerva carried him back to the Leaky Cauldron. Arabella pushed the stroller next to them, which held all of Harry’s toys. Once inside, they paid Tom five sickles for some Floo powder, and went back to Arabella’s to clean up Harry’s room before the furniture arrived.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, this chapter is longer than I thought it would be. I hope that after a few more chapters, the timeline will start to pick up a bit. Good news is that next chapter should be the last chapter to take place on November 1, 1981! Also, who do you think the other suggested guardians are in James and Lily's will? I'll give you a hint, it's NOT the Dursleys. 
> 
> I start my Master's program on Wednesday, so these upcoming chapters may be spaced farther apart, or they may be shorter. My goal, however, is to still post once a week! I will let you know of any changes!


	6. Chapter 6: The First Evening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I am alive, and will be on a more regular upload schedule (about a new chapter every two weeks). Thank you so much for sticking around during by 2 month absence!

Once they arrived back at Number 12 Wisteria Walk, Arabella went to go feed the cats while Minerva set Harry up in the living room with some of his toys. All of the cats left the area as soon as they heard the sound of their kibble bag, allowing Minerva to place a boundary charm on the floor to keep Harry there. Honestly, Minerva was surprised that there was almost no discernible amount of cat fur on the furniture. She figured that Arabella vacuumed it daily to keep it that way. She might not have the time now with Harry, and cast a mild repellent charm on the cushions so any shed cat fur would fall to the ground where it could be easily vacuumed. 

 

With Harry cheerfully playing with the two dragons, Minerva set about organizing all of the purchased items on and around the kitchen table. She placed the toys on one side of the table, and the clothes and other items for Harry’s room on the other side. Once the bags were sorted, Minerva began setting up the high chair. She was just tucking it into the corner when Arabella came back from feeding her part-Kneazle cats. 

 

“Wow, you sure do work fast, Minerva!”

 

“Thank you, it comes from years of teaching. Now, can you please show me Harry’s room so we can tidy up before the furniture comes.”

 

“Of course. Follow me up the stairs.” Arabella started up the stairs before stopping, turning towards Minerva. “Will Harry be alright? I didn’t get any baby gates.”

 

“Yes, he will. I placed a boundary charm in the room. He can’t leave it.” Arabella nodded and continued up the stairs. “If you want, I can place a cushioning charm on the floor in case he falls and a softening charm on the furniture in case he runs into them.”

 

“That would be wonderful!” Arabella opened the first door on the right, “This will be Harry’s room. I know it’s not that big, but the other bedrooms serve as the cat’s room and my room.”

 

“I’m sure Harry won’t mind it.” Minerva looked around the room. The window across from the door had a bench underneath it, and the other one looked out onto the street. There was a desk and a closet along the left wall, a worn blue, yellow, and gray rug in the center of the room, and a set of filing cabinets on the right wall.

 

“What do we need to do before the furniture arrives?”

 

“We’ll definitely have to move the desk, chair, and filing cabinets to another room. The rug can be left here, or moved somewhere else.”

 

“Let’s leave the rug here. The other things can be moved to my room.” Arabella picked up the desk chair, and Minerva cast a stasis charm on the desk before levitating it and following her down the hall to her room. After placing the desk where Arabella directed her to, she ended the stasis charm and repeated the process with the cabinets. Once everything was in place, they returned to Harry’s room.

 

“Can you cast a few cleaning spells around the room? It’s faster than me taking out the vacuum.”

 

“Of course.” Minerva got rid of all the dust bunnies, and it left the scent of freshly-cleaned laundry in the air. “Now, is there anything else you would like me to do?”

 

“Can you change the color of the walls?” Arabella replied jokingly.

 

“Yes. What color would you like them?”

 

“I was thinking a nice, neutral light gray would complement the furniture quite nicely without showing bias towards any one House.”

 

Minerva glanced at Arabella, startled. “You don't want Harry knowing about the Hogwarts Houses? But he is already aware of what Gryffindor is.”

 

“I will be primarily raising Harry, and I never went to Hogwarts. I know the bare minimum about each house, and thus do not hold biases towards any one of them. I would like Harry to make his own decisions about the Houses when it is time for him to attend, not someone else.”

 

“Yes, of course I understand your reasoning. I never thought about it from an outsider’s perception before.”

 

“I will not ask you to hide parts of yourself for Harry’s sake. You can say that you are the head of one of the Houses, but please don’t say which one.”

 

“I will make sure to keep it in my mind as Harry gets older. Now,” Minerva did the incantation, “is this the color you wanted?”

 

“I like it, but could you go a shade lighter?”

 

*******

The furniture delivery men had just left when Harry met a few of the cats for the first time. While all the cats had already seen and heard Harry, none of them dared to get close to the small, screeching human. Midnight and Indigo, sisters whose names fit their coloring quite well, joined Harry in his play area. 

 

At first, Harry didn’t notice them watching him from the top of the armchair, as he was distracted by the stuffed dragons. As they slowly inched towards him, he finally noticed them. “Ca-t! Ca-t! Ca-t!” The cats froze in place, waiting to see what Harry would do. He began waving at Midnight and Indigo; both unfroze and began to slowly walk towards Harry until they were close enough to sniff him, but not close enough for him to grab them if he tried. As soon as Harry reached towards the cats, they turned away and took their places at the top of the armchair once again. 

 

Having heard Harry’s shrieks, Minerva and Arabella came down the stairs, pausing when they realized that Harry was not in danger. “Don’t worry Minerva, Midnight and Indigo are harmless! They’re just watching over him. Let’s continue to set up Harry’s room.”

 

“If you want, I can levitate everything into the room.”

 

“The sooner everything can be put away, the better.”

 

Arabella followed Minerva and a floating stack of clothes up to Harry’s room, then directed where everything should go. After repeating this another six times, everything was put away in Harry’s room.

 

Once Arabella and Minerva were done with everything, they joined Harry in the living room. “Would you like to stay for dinner, Minerva? I have some beef stew that I can heat on the stove.”

 

“As long as I’m not intruding.”

 

“You never are.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I didn't end the chapter here, you would probably have to wait another two months. I just can't get into the same flow that I had before, so time to move the plot along.
> 
> Why did it take me so long to upload? It took me until Week 10 to finally get into the groove of grad school, and balance it with my work. My depression was creeping up on me again, but I'm doing better now. I have also been dealing with other medical issues that will hopefully resolve themselves soon.
> 
> On a happier note, how Harry says "cat" is inspired by my nephew, who turned 1 last week. He says it the same way.


	7. The Unexpected Visitor

Four days later, Arabella was feeding Harry some pureed pears for breakfast when her Floo went off. “Arabella, can you talk via Firecall right now?”

“Just come on through, Minerva. I’m feeding Harry some pears.”

Minerva determinedly stepped through the Floo and collapsed into a chair, throwing a paper onto the table. “Here’s a mug, make yourself some tea.” Arabella slid the kettle over to Minerva, then gave Harry another spoonful of pureed pears.

Minerva made herself a cup, deeply inhaling the steam rising from it before taking a drink. The sip appeared to calm her, and she took another before turning the paper over to Arabella. “Have you seen today’s Daily Prophet?”

“No, my subscription starts next week.” Arabella pulled the paper towards her so she could read and feed Harry at the same time. She perused the headlines. “I don’t see anything about Sirius’s trial on the front page. Which auror’s family was attacked by Death Eaters last night?”

Minerva had such restraint in her voice that she spoke in an almost complete monotone. “The Longbottoms. Frank and Alice. Both Gryffindors, went to Hogwarts at the same time as Lily and James. They have a son, Neville. Only a day older than Harry. Both couples were part of the Order, and Frank, Alice, and James all worked as Aurors together.” 

Arabella quickly scanned the article. “Are Frank and Alice still alive?”

“Yes, but they have a fate worse than death. They were tortured into insanity. The Healers at Saint Mungo’s will not know how severe it is until they wake up. They are expecting the worst, however…” Arabella tuned Minerva out as she skimmed the article:

...By the time Aurors began to arrive at the undisclosed cottage, Frank and Alice had been under an almost-continuous Cruciatus for at least 45 minutes… Three Death Eaters: Bellatrix, Rodolphus, and Rabastan LeStrange were all arrested at the cottage, while the fourth Death Eater remains at large. Aurors believe that the Death Eaters were looking for information on the whereabouts of You-Know-Who, who was defeated on Halloween at the expense of James and Lily Potter’s lives. Since both Frank and Alice were Aurors--

Arabella looked to see who hit her. Harry was happily gurgling and waving his arms around. 

“I believe that Harry wants more pears.” Minerva smirked, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. Still, it was the most upbeat that she had looked all day. 

Arabella scraped the last bit of pear out of the jar and fed it to Harry, then tossed some Cheerios onto the tray of his high chair. “I’m so sorry Minerva. You’ve known them for half their lives, serving as a teacher, advisor, and later friend. I know that you all ran in the same circles.”

“Thank you, Arabella, for your kind words. I have heard through the grapevine that Lady Augusta Longbottom, Frank’s mother, has taken in Neville.”

“Do the Aurors have any ideas as to who the fourth Death Eater is?”

“No, but they believe that it will come out during the trials. The Wizengamot is willing to cut deals to those who turn on their former Death Eaters.”

“Really?”

“Yes, they want to find all of the Death Eaters and place them into Azkaban. However, money equals influence. There are plenty of His followers that will never serve a day in Azkaban.”

“That’s how it is in the Muggle world too.” Arabella placed a sippy cup onto Harry’s tray. “He eats better if you don’t give him milk first.”

Minerva took another sip of tea. “How has Harry been these past few days?”

Arabella sighed and looked into her tea before answering. “He wakes up screaming and crying in the middle of the night, calling out for his parents. I calm him down and he falls asleep again, only for him to wake up again two or three hours later. I know that he doesn’t want me, but he needs the comfort of someone. I’ve been trying to get him on a schedule so that he has some sort of structure. He gets along with almost all of the cats, save Zeus. He tried to attack Harry yesterday, but Midnight and Indigo stepped in before he could scratch him.”

“What are you going to do with Zeus? You can’t have him attacking Harry.”

“Currently, he is in the cat room upstairs. He’s wearing a collar that doesn’t allow him to go down stairs. I bought it at Diagon Alley after Clarence broke his hind leg.”

“You can’t quarantine Zeus for the rest of his life. It isn’t fair to him.”

“I know. But it will work for the short term.” Arabella stood up from her chair and took Harry out of the high chair. “It’s almost time for his nap. We can continue talking upstairs.”

“I would love to, but I have a 2nd year class to teach in 10 minutes.” At Arabella’s confused expression, Minerva clarified, “I stopped by during my free period. I needed to vent a bit, and I wanted to see Harry.” Minerva stood up and finished the rest of her tea.

“I thought that Hogwarts had no classes this week due to the celebrations regarding the end of the War,” Arabella led Minerva to the Floo, Harry resting on her shoulder. They paused in front of the fireplace.

“I wish that Dumbledore cancelled classes. The students are not paying attention in their classes, either due to exuberance or grief. The younger students are relieved that the War is over. The older students are more somber. They knew James and Lily, and looked up to them since they were prefects and Head Boy and Girl.”

“Thank you for stopping by Minerva; you can get through this last two days of classes. I will see you on Saturday, correct?”

“Yes, I’ll be over around 11:00; the Portkey activates at 11:45. I will see you then, Arabella. Goodbye, Harry.” Minerva patted his hair, as to not disturb his slumber. She then threw the Floo powder into the fireplace, and was gone.

“Let me put you down for a nap,” Arabella whispered to Harry as she carried him upstairs, “so I can write out the grocery list.”

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally supposed to be a one-shot, but it has grown out of hand, lol. I plan on posting once a week. This is my first work and is unbeta'd. If you would like to be my beta writer, please hmu!


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